Revealing the heterogeneous contamination process in metal nanoparticulate catalysts in CO gas without purification by in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy.

It is known that samples become contaminated in CO gas of high pressure unless care is taken with the gas supply line to an environmental transmission electron microscope. This technical note reveals the heterogeneous formation process of contamination in situ on a nanoparticulate catalyst sample. It is shown that the surface of metal nanoparticles is preferentially contaminated, while the surface of metal oxide supports remains uncontaminated. It is also demonstrated that the contamination is suppressed by introducing a gas purifier in a gas supply line.